Dragons sweep the east and Columbus
May 7, 2005 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
New York Dragons News Release
The Dragons moved one step closer towards clinching an Eastern Division championship with their 56-44 victory over the Columbus Destroyers on Saturday night at the Nassau Coliseum. The win improves their record to 9-5 and gives them a season sweep of the Eastern Division with a 6-0 mark. QB Aaron Garcia completed 29 of 37 passes for 307 yards and seven touchdowns.
"This was a huge win-win-win game for us," said Dragons head coach Weylan Harding following the victory. "This keeps our playoff hopes moving in the right direction. This was a big victory."
Propelled by an opportunistic defense and timely offense, the Dragons never trailed at any point in the game. Garcia had a tremendous evening, throwing for seven touchdowns against only one interception to spark the Dragons offense. With OS Kevin Swayne leaving the game early due to an injury, the rest of the Dragons receiving corps stepped up. WR/LB Chris Anthony contributed a standout performance by catching seven passes for three touchdowns. After the game he was named the US Army Ironman of the game. Anthony sealed the victory when he returned a Destroyer onside kick for a score late in the fourth quarter. That return set a new AFL record for eleven combine kick returns for touchdowns.
The defensive backfield for the Dragons applied pressure throughout the game. WR/DB Will Holder had two of the team's three interceptions off Destroyer quarterback Ryan Vena, forcing him out of the game early in the second half. Holder earned the ADT Defensive Player of the Game honor. WR/DB Corey Johnson also added an interception of his own to bring his season total up to seven.
FB/LB Josh "Zeus" White added a 26-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter. WR/DB DaShane Dennis, OS Mike Horacek and OS Kevin Swayne each had one touchdown to lead a balanced offensive attack.
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